Another World
by LisaJayy
Summary: This is a story that takes place after Ana and Christian break up. Ana finds herself in an abusive relationship with another man and has nowhere to turn when things progressively become worse. Christian eventually finds out about Ana's troubles and tries to save her to the best of his ability. Will she let him? This is graphic and does contains abuse. All happy endings, I swear.
1. Chapter 1

It's been four whole months since I walked out on Christian. I still remember how his face looked that nights as I stepped into the elevator that dropped me down into my own personal hell. I left Christian because I couldn't keep up with his lifestyle. I couldn't be the obedient submissive that he needed. I let him whip me and show me just how bad it could get. Then I left. Even now, I can still feel the soft leather crack across my bare skin. The sick son-of-a-bitch actually _enjoyed_ seeing me like that! He go off on the pain that he caused. He hurt me in more ways than one that night. He showed me that one side of him that I actually though I could change. During that moment I wasn't Ana to him. Instead, I was treated just like another one of his submissive partners. Just another piece of ass for him to take his emotional turmoil out on. I left him because I couldn't be what he wanted, what he needed.

I haven't heard anything from him in four months. Things have changed a lot in that short amount of time. Just like every other girl, I went through the typical break up phase that included eating tubs of ice cream, lying in bed for weeks, and just staring at my phone waiting for some type of text or phone call. I got nothing.

My heart hurts. This just shows how little I meant to him, which really sucks because he was the absolute world to me. He still is, I admit. I just can't let anybody know since people believe that I've moved on with Kevin.

Kevin and I met each other at one of Jose's art shows. I was there supporting my friend who happened to be friends with Kevin. Jose introduced us and we just continued to talk from there. Kevin is cute, I guess. He's just a tad taller than me and has a little bit of cushion around his middle, but is still strong. He has dark brown hair, and dark brown eyes to match. He's got a few crooked teeth, but other than that has a nice enough smile. His nose is a little too large for his face and is also a little crooked in the middle, but somehow I've learned to look past it.

I guess you could say that we've been together for a couple months now. Jose's told Kevin all about my past relationship with Christian, minus some few details, and Kevin has been there to help me through it. He was a great person to talk to. I didn't tell him everything, but either way he cheered me up. He found a way to make me laugh again and to climb out of the hole that I dug myself into.

He was great at first. We were always together and he tried his best to make me forget Christian. Of course, I never could. His perfect face was always in the back of my mind even when I was with Kevin. The first time Kevin and I had sex, well…it was alright. Nothing can compare to what Christian and I had, but at least for that moment I actually felt like I was loved for who I was.

It was great. I felt that maybe, just maybe, I could learn to forget about Christian and get on with a normal relationship. But things with Kevin changed dramatically after a few months of dating. His usual friendly and comforting personality transformed into one of anger and abuse.

It started off small at first. Whenever he found me in one of my "moods," mostly due to the memory of Christian, he would roll his eyes and tell me to suck it up. He wouldn't ask me what I wanted to do anymore, but he would make plans without asking me if I was okay with it. Sometimes he would come see me, not say anything, and just start touching me and pushing me into having sex with him. He would do this at least twice a day. Then it started getting worse. One night when I refused to have sexy with him, he hit me. It was the first time it happened. He slapped me clean across the face with his hand so hard and fast that I saw white dots flash behind my closed eyelids. He refused to take "no" for an answer.

His abuse progressively became worse. It was both physical and mental. He would make jabs at me at any chance he got. He'd say that I wasn't pretty enough for him, that I wasn't thin enough, that I was too stupid for any man to want. I could almost take that. It was the comments about Christian that hurt the worst and he knew it. Kevin would constantly say something about Christian not wanting me because my "pussy wasn't tight enough." He would ask me if Christian found another girlfriend or if he resorted to strip clubs and paying prostitutes.

His words hurt. I soon found myself in an even worse position with Kevin than I ever did with Christian. Kevin would constantly hit me. And not in the sexual way that was only okay in the bedroom, but in the way that stung and left dark marks on my pale skin. I've lost count of how many cuts and bruises I have covering my body. I can barely stomach looking at myself in the mirror. I've come to hate what I see. I'm a shell of the girl that I used to be. My hair is lifelessly hanging down my back, my eyes are dull, and my overall body is just pathetic. I've probably lost around fifteen pounds since Christian. I just don't feel like eating anymore. I can't help that I don't have someone constantly begging me to eat anymore.

So, here I stand in front of my small apartment mirror waiting for Kevin to pick me up. He told me this morning to be ready by five for dinner with Kate and Jose. I don't want to find out what he's do if I was even a minute late. The last time I was hit in the head so hard that I had a headache for a couple of days. Kate and Jose don't know anything about Kevin. As far as they're concerned he's still the perfect friend and man they've always known.

I take a long, deep breath and take a moment to smooth the foundation over my skin. I do this every time I go out so my dark marks aren't visible. Kevin makes it clear that if I forget to cover one up, then he puts another one somewhere of his choice.

After one last look in the mirror, I hear the handle of the door jiggle slightly as Kevin uses his key to get in. He doesn't announce himself anymore. He just shows up. The sound sends shivers through my body. Fear spikes through my body and I feel the tiny hairs on my arms and neck stand up at attention. I must always be prepared for whatever mood he's in. I turn away from my reflection and grab my purse from the couch and head towards the door where I run into Kevin's solid figure.


	2. Chapter 2

My chest slams right into his solid figure.

"Fuck, Ana." He says and grabs the top of my arm. "Watch where you're going." He then gives my arm a tight squeeze.

"Sorry, Kevin." I say quietly and drop my head. I'm afraid to see his face. He's clearly already in a bad mood.

"Whatever. Let's go. I don't need you to keep them waiting and making me look bad." Kevin grabs my wrist tightly and yanks me roughly behind him. I stumble on the concrete while walking towards his car. One of my high heels catch onto a crack in the sidewalk and I fall forward with my hands out in front of me. I instinctively grab onto the back of Kevin's jacket and tug the fabric down with the force of my fall. I catch myself just before my face hits the ground. I quickly straighten myself just long enough to see the swift blur of Kevin's hand slap me right across my left cheek. The force of it sends my head flying in the other direction.

"Don't you dare fucking touch me!" His voice roars in my ear. I'm left standing in shock with my palm pressed lightly against my face. Kevin gives me a disgusted look and opens his door of the car.

"Now get in and stop the crying." I didn't even notice the water that stings behind my eyes. I take a deep breath, sniffle a few times, and slide into the soft clothed seats of his car. Kevin pulls out into the traffic and heads towards the restaurant where we're meeting Kate and Jose. I try and not look over at him for the entire ride. I keep myself calm by looking out the window and watch the Seattle skyline flash by. A strong sense of dread rushes through me as I look out onto the city. This city once used to make me happy, now I see it as a cage that traps me inside with no way out. Just looking at it makes me want to cry. At that moment I wish that I could go back in time and change what I've done. I wouldn't have left Christian the way I did and I most certainty wouldn't have gotten involved with Kevin.

Sometimes when I'm alone, I imagine myself hopping on a bus and running away from this life that I've created. I wish I was strong enough, but I'm not. The truth is that deep, deep down I hope that Kevin will change. I hope that one day I'll wake up and have the normal relationship that I've always wanted. Maybe that's why I can't bring myself to leave him…

"Hey," Kevin snaps me out of my thinking. "Quit daydreaming. We're here." I pull my head out of the clouds, get out of the car, and walk over to where Kevin stands. He grabs my hand and I can't help but look into his eyes. I just want to catch some idea of what he's thinking at this very moment. His dark eyes burn into mine and chills run up and down my spine. I go to turn away, but he's too fast for me. He grips the hair at the back of my neck and pulls my ear to his mouth.

"You know how I feel when you look at me. Keep your eyes down unless I tell you otherwise." He snarls the words. I can't seem to find my voice, so I result to nodding my head lightly. I really don't want him to hit me again. Not here, not now. Usually whenever we go out in public he puts on a good show and makes everyone believe that we're an average everyday couple.

He releases my hair and steps in front of me. He walks quickly towards the restaurant's lobby where Kate and Jose are already sitting at a table. Kevin sits next to Jose while I take my place next to Kate.

It's a fun act to play. I make sure that I laugh, I talk, and I even push the food around on my plate. I actually like these moments. I feel like my life is somewhat back to normal. The four of us talk for a while about nothing in particular and enjoy the food before we say goodbye and leave. I hug Kate and Jose before Kevin steals me away. He grabs my hand and pulls me back towards the car.

Once we reach my apartment, we walk inside and I turn on the hallway light. I make my way into the kitchen, but large, rough hands grab onto my shoulders and push me up against the wall. My back hits the door so hard that the breath is knocked out of me. I feel the door handle dig deep into my skin.

_Oh, please not again…_

"I'm gonna take what's mine, baby." Kevin grabs the bottom of my dress and slides his hand underneath my panties. I start to tremble as I feel two of his fingers force their way into my tight opening.

"No, please Kevin." I say and try to push back his shoulders. "I don't want to do this right now." I knew the words were a mistake the moment the escaped my mouth. Kevin roughly grasps my throat with his free hand and lowers his lips to my ear.

"What the fuck did you say? You don't give me that shit, Ana. You know damn well that I have the right to fuck your sweet ass anytime I want. Just imagine that I'm your precious Christian Grey." The last of his words break me. I let out a tiny sob as I feel his fingers push further into me and he squeezes my neck with his other hand. The oxygen is blocked and my body starts to panic. The only way he'll let me go is if I agree to whatever he says. I frantically nod my head and gasp for air when he finally releases my throat.

"Good." He says. I feel his tongue snake out and trace a slimy path from the base of my neck up to my mouth. I used to love this kind of foreplay. It used to be sexy and sensual and made me feel cherished. Now it does nothing but make me feel cheap and weak. I hate it.

Kevin pushed me towards the bedroom where he forces me onto the bed and tears off all his clothes, including mine. He fucks me hard that night. I never look him in the eyes. I just turn my head to the side and let the silent tears roll down my face and onto the comforter. He doesn't stop moving above me until he finds his release inside me. I silently thank God that I've been on the pill since I was with Christian.

Afterwards, he rolls over onto his back and begins to snore. I'm always left feeling empty inside. I'm completely numb inside. I roll over onto my side, away from him, and let the sobs take over. The dams break and my sore body shakes the bed as I clutch the blanket to my chest and howl out my pain into the fabric. I clench my eyes shut and allow the salty tears to flow freely down my face and onto my neck.

"Shut the fuck up, bitch." Kevin's voice makes me jump in fear. I feel him lean over and push me over the edge of my bed. I land on the wooden floor right on one of my bruises that he created. This one is on my hip and is in the shape of one of his working boots. "Sleep down there." His voice is thick with sleep. A pillow lands right next to me at the bottom of my bare feet.

My sobs quiet and I hug the pillow to my chest. I don't make a sound, but I still allow myself to cry into the one thing that's holding my together. The hard floor is cold and extremely uncomfortable, but I eventually cry myself into a deep sleep where I dream about the only man that hold my heart.


	3. Chapter 3

Christian's POV

I don't know how much longer I can take this. I've never felt this type of pain before. Instead of physical pain that goes away in a few days, this pain is internal and shows no sign of healing. When Ana left she took a large part of myself with her. My chest feels hallow as if she personally reached inside me and stole my heart. She did steal my heart though, in every way possible. I can barely breathe without this woman. Since she left I've been blessed with the torture of nightmares every night. I never had nightmares with Ana.

I never allowed myself to admit it before, but I am in love. I slowly fell in love with her and then my entire world was shifted upside down. I hit her. I hit her and then she vanished right before my eyes.

That night made me realize some things. I knew that she didn't belong in my world. Someone as beautiful and pure as Ana should not be exposed to someone as broken and cruel as I am. I know all this, but why the fuck did she ask me to do that? She told me to show her how bad it could get, I obliged, and then she fucking left me! She walked right out of my life as if everything we ever had never mattered. It was all my fault though. She didn't know what she was asking for. I should have ended it before it ever got to that point.

"Mr. Grey," Taylor's voice pulls me out of my thoughts. I pulls my hands away from my face to see him standing in the doorway of my office.

"Yes?" I ask. Why could he possible want? Since Ana left, things have been pretty quiet around here.

"Sir, your mother is her to see you." My mother? She didn't tell me that she was coming over. Of course, I don't mind, but I haven't really communicated with my family in the past couple months. My mother is the first person I told about Ana leaving. I've been too embarrassed to say much else. I step out of my office and find her sitting on one of the stools next to the kitchen counter. She looks like he just got off work.

"Christian, my dear." She says and walks over to wrap her arms around me. I return the hug and enjoy the brief moment of human contact.

"Hi, mom." I mumble. I pull back and look down at her wrinkled face. She appears to be stressed.

"Christian, I've been so worried about you. We all have." She signs and rubs my arm. "How have things been? We haven't heard from you in a while."

"Not great." I tell the truth. I take a deep breath and walk over to grab a bottle of wine from the fridge. I find two glasses and pour each a generous amount. I feel like this has become a routine for me. "I've been keeping busy with work." That's an understatement. I get up at the crack of dawn, work my ass off to keep my company on top, and then stay awake until my eyes force themselves shut. Sometimes I've woken up to find that I've fallen asleep at my desk in front of the computer.

"Oh, dear," My mother sighs disapprovingly and takes a glass. "Why don't you just go talk to her, huh?" She jumps right to the point. I figured that's the main reason why she paid a visit. Well, that and making sure that her son hasn't slit his wrists yet.

"I can't do that." I lean against the counter and drop my face into my hands. The only thing I want to do is talk to my Ana, but I just can't do that. The best thing for us right now is giving each other some space. That's what she would want. I think.

"Sweetie, it's been months since you two broke up." Her words do weird things to my chest, though I know she didn't say them with the intention to hurt me. "Don't you think she missed you?"

I shake my head. She couldn't possibly miss me after everything I've put her through. It physically hurts knowing that she's most likely moved on when I can barely get up in the morning. What if she did move on? The thought has invaded my head before. What if she's completely done with me and found somebody else? Ana is a beautiful, smart, caring woman, she'd have no problem with finding other companionship. The though sends a foreign feeling to surge through my veins. Just imagining her with another man makes me want to break whatever's closest to me and puke at the same time. God knows that I haven't even thought about another woman. If Ana is involved with someone else, then there's no hope of us ever getting back together.

"You can't keep doing this to yourself, Christian. You haven't talked to anyone, you're not eating, and dear lord. Christian, shake your face." I unconsciously run my hand over my chin and feel the rough stubble prick at my fingers. I hang my head in shame. She's right.

"I'm miserable without her." I say to no one in particular. "I want to see her so badly. I need to know if she'll ever take me back again. I need to fix things between us before it's too late. But I don't know how to."

I feel her hands rub soothing circles over my back. "Then go find her. Spare yourself all of this pointless pain and go get Ana back. You're a beautiful person inside and out, Christian. She'll understand." She says it as if it's the easiest thing in the world to do.

"But what if she doesn't want me back, mom? I hurt her so much." I say. I lift my head and look at her. She looks up at me with sad eyes. I hate causing her pain.

"What if she misses you just as much as you miss her? What if she wants you back, but doesn't think you want her?" Her words leave me speechless. I don't know how to respond. Maybe Ana does want to work things out. Maybe she's just too shy to speak up first. It's possible.

For the first time in what feels like forever, hope swells in my chest. If Ana dose want me back, then I'm going to do everything in my power to make that happen. No amount of money, distance, or time is going to get in my way. Especially, not another man.

"You're right, mom." I stand tall. "I need Ana and the only way I'm going to get her is if I go out and find her myself."

My mother wraps her tiny arms around my waist and kisses my cheek. "That's my boy. Now go win Ana back and shave that awful facial hair."


	4. Chapter 4

I lay on the couch just blankly staring at the TV in front of me. I'm not really sure what's on, but the noise and flashing of light is strangely comforting. I didn't get much sleep last night. Sleeping on the floor left my body in aches when I woke up. Kevin was still sleeping, so I decided to come downstairs and do something that doesn't require a lot of brain work. I start to feel my eyes slowly close. It's early on a Saturday morning. I mentally make the decision to sleep in all day. I'm just about to fall asleep when I feel the cushions on the couch dip low on one side. I startle awake and life my head to see Kevin sitting on the other end.

"Morning." Kevin says. He picks both of my feet up in one of his hands and places them in his lap. He begins to pick at the nail polish that covers my toe nails.

"Um, good morning." It sounds like a question. I'm so confused right now. Usually Kevin isn't so gentle with me. The mornings are usually his worst times, especially when I manage to wake him up.

Kevin keeps his eyes down on my feet. "You know that I don't want to hurt you, right?" His voice is so low that I almost didn't hear what he said. "I just don't want you to leave me. I love you, Ana." He breaks his trance from my feet and looks up at me. If I didn't know any better, I'd say that he almost looks sad.

"Kevin," I say. His words confuse me. They always do. One moment he's pushing me up against the wall, forcing me to have sex with him, then the next he's all sweet and says kind things. "I love you, too." My words sound foreign even to myself, but it's all I can say back. I'm not going to tell him that it's okay for him to hit me, because it's not. I hate when he's mad at me. I'm scared when he hits me and I have to beg for him to stop. But when he's like this…I forget every bad thing he's ever done to me.

"Good." He says. "Now, I have to go."

"Where are you going?" I ask. He swings my legs off his lap and gets up off the couch.

"To work." He sounds annoyed. He grabs his keys from the coffee table. "I don't know when I'll be back. I expect dinner to be made." Kevin leans over the couch and kisses my cheek. He really can be sweet when he wants to. I say goodbye and watch as he walks out the front door. When he's gone, I take a deep breath and try to collect my thoughts. What did I get myself into? I feel like I'm on a rollercoaster that has multiple twists and turns. Kevin is so unpredictable. I close my eyes and allow my thoughts to drift to more uplifting memories.

Christian's bright gray eyes and dark copper hair flash behind my eyelids. He still looks so beautiful even in my memory. I imagine him smiling at me with his perfectly straight, white teeth. His eyes shine with pure joy and his smile is genuine. I can't help but smile to myself. My chest aches with longing. Why did I leave him? We could have worked things out. Eventually.

I get up off the couch and head into the kitchen. I pour myself a small glass of orange juice and grab a small handful of grapes. This will be my breakfast and my lunch. I probably won't eat anything for dinner. I found out quickly that Kevin doesn't like having a pig for a girlfriend. He always makes comments about how much I eat and constantly tells me that I'm "fat."

After I eat a few grapes, I decide to go clean up my bedroom. Cleaning always keeps me busy and it makes Kevin happy. I pick dirty clothes off the floor, make the bed, and even fold all the clothes in the dresser. I'm folding an old t-shirt when a crumbles up piece of paper falls onto my lap. I unfold it and see that it's an article from a magazine. I flip it over to see what's on the other side.

My heart stops in my chest. Without thinking I grab the t-shirt and press it up to my mouth where I let out a deep, chest shaking sob. Tears immediately fill my eyes, making the photo of me and Christian all blurry. The article shows a picture of me and Christian at some kind of social even together. We're shown standing together, my hand is around Christian's waist while his is tight around mine. Our eyes are locked together, completely ignoring the photographer. I remember this night. I almost looked beautiful in my plum dress and my wavy hair hanging down my back like a waterfall. Christian looks perfect as ever in one of his dark suits that's completed with that gray tie. We looked perfect together. Almost like we were in love.

I dry my eyes with the shirt before getting off the floor and moving to the bed. I sit on the mattress and just stare at the picture for a few moments. All of the memories from the past flash through my mind all at once. Jesus, do I miss my old life. I miss the feeling of being happy.

Later on that night, after Kevin finally came back, I made dinner and we ate on the couch together.

"Why can't you cook like that all the time?" Kevin throws his dirt napkin on the plate and leans back on the couch.

"I'm glad you liked it." I'm not much of a cook and just made cheeseburgers.

"I'm going to go change." He leans over and kisses me on the cheek before heading up the stairs. I almost blush. Why can't every night be like this?

I grab the dirty dishes from the table and take them into the kitchen. As I'm washing the plates in the sink, a loud thud above makes me drop the plate on the floor. The plate shatters and sends pieces to fire off in every direction. Fuck.

"ANA!" Kevin's voice booms through the whole apartment. My body is immediately covered in a cold sweat. "What the fuck is this?" I hear his loud footsteps storm down the steps. I can practically feel the anger radiating off his skin.

Before I have the chance to find my voice he rushes into the kitchen to find me standing in the middle of the broken plate. His head snaps up and reveals his face. The veins in his neck stand out and it appears as if his eyes have gone completely black.

"What the fuck did you do now?" He marches over to where I'm frozen in place and yanks me by my hair into the living room. "What the hell is this?" He pulls my head up and I see him holding the picture of me and Christian. "Why the fuck do you have this?" He finally lets go of my hair and pushes my against the wall.

"I-I-I'm sorry. I don't know where that came from." My voice quivers.

He slaps me across the face so hard that my head slams against the wall. "Don't know where it came from?" Kevin mocks me. "You're nothing but a lying whore, Ana/" He takes the picture and makes a show of ripping it right in front of me.

I can feel the tears sting behind my eyes. "Please, Kevin," I beg with a shaking voice. "I didn't do anything wrong."

"You are a sneaky bitch, Anastasia." He says right in my face. His dark eyes burn into mine. "Don't think I don't know what you're up to. He doesn't want you anymore, Ana. Get that through your fucking head. I'm all you got now." He spits the words in my face.

"I'm sorry…" I say quietly, hoping that he doesn't hear the tears in my voice. He can't stand when I start to cry. It only make him angrier. He balls up his fist at his side and slams it into my stomach as quick as lightening. The breath is knocked out of me and I fall to the floor with his standing above me. I seal my eyes shut and wait for whatever he plans to do next. I've learned a while ago that fighting him doesn't help. No matter what I do, he always finds a way to hurt me.

"Clean up you mess in the kitchen. I don't want to see your face until it's done. And you better pray to God that I don't find anything else." His words ooze threat.

I curl up into a tight ball to brace myself, but nothing ever comes. I slowly open my eyes to find that he's not standing in front of me anymore. Relief rushes through me. Out of the corner of my eye I see the little pieces of the picture scattered out in front of me. I stretch out my arm and collect all of the little bits that I can reach.

Oh, Christian…What would you do if you saw me like this?


	5. Chapter 5

Christian's POV

Finally. After hours of research, I've found Ana. She still lives in her old apartment, has the same job, but has changed her phone number. I've just left Escala and I'm now driving towards Ana's. It's almost eleven o'clock on a Saturday night. I hope she's home. I don't really feel like going out and chasing her down into the morning.

I park on the side of the street right outside her apartment. One of the windows is lit up in a soft, golden glow. Thank God, she's home. My stomach begins to feel uneasy as I get out of the car, maybe I should have called first. No, this needs to happen now. I can't go another moment without seeing her beautiful face. It's already been long enough.

I walk up to the front door and press the doorbell. I can't remember the last time I've even felt this nervous. I'm Christian Grey, damn it! I don't get nervous. I hear a little bit of rustling inside before the door cracks open.

Ana is standing not even a foot away from me with an unreadable expression on her face. She almost looks tired. Her face is pale, there's dark circles under her eyes, and her hair hangs in front of her face. She's still so beautiful.

"Ana." Her name is a prayer on my lips. Her large, blue eyes go wide as if they're just now seeing me. Her breathing starts to quicken and her face goes completely white. She looks like she's about to faint. "Ana!" I throw my arms out and catch her just as her body start to sway. My hands hold onto her shoulders and keep her upright. "Are you alright?" I take one of my hands and brush my fingers against her cheek. She reacts immediately as if she's been electrocuted. She jumps back away from me and holds her hands out in front of her.

"You." She says. "You're not real." She holds her hands over her mouth and I see the tears spring into her eyes.

This is not how I wanted this to go…

"Ana, it's me." I try to tell her. She continues to shake her head back and forth. The tears escape and flow freely down her cheeks. Each tear sends a cold shiver through my heart. She doesn't need to be crying because of me.

"No," She says through her tears. "No, no, no. You can't be here." Rejection floods through me. Maybe it was a mistake coming here. Maybe I was wrong and she doesn't want to see me again.

"Ana, I want to talk to you. May I come in? Please?" I'm practically begging her to talk to me. I'll get on my hands and knees if I have to. Ana swipes her hand over her face and nods once. She opens the door wider and motions for me to come in.

The first thing I notice is that her apartment is ridiculously clean. Bottles of cleaner are littered around the tables, the living room is kept together, and the kitchen looks spotless. Even the wooden floors appear to be swept.

"I was just cleaning." She says quietly. She stands next to the door with her head down and her arms wrapped around her middle. Why is she acting like this?

"You did a good job." The atmosphere feels so awkward. I could cut the tension with a knife. Ana slowly walks over and sits on the couch. Her body seems to curl in on itself.

"Christian," She sighs my name and takes a deep breath. Hearing her say my name sends tiny jolts through my body. "Why are you here?" I also take a deep, calming breath and invite myself to go sit next to her. I sit close enough to smell the soft fragrance of her shampoo, but give her enough distance so she's not too uncomfortable.

"Ana, I just wanted to apologize. I wanted to tell you how sorry I am. That I should have never done what I did. That I should have known-"

"It's been four months, Christian." Her voice interrupts me. Our bodies have managed to turn themselves towards each other like magnets. She looks at me with a serious face that I haven't seen before. "It's been four months and now you decide to show up?"

"Ana, I was wrong before. That night should have never happened."

"But it did." She says. "It did and we broke up."

Even though her words are true, they still hurt. "I know." I sigh. "I know it happened, but that's why I'm here now. I want to talk about this. I want to-"

"To what?" She snaps. "To tell me you're sorry? And then what? Give me another contract that requires more whipping? More hurt?" She leaps off the couch and starts to walk around in little circles. She's angry. I understand. She has every right to be angry at me. "I don't want to be hurt anymore." Her voce goes soft at the end.

Her thin arms wrap around her body once more and I'm able to fully take in her physical state. She's a lot thinner than she was four months ago. Even under her sweatpants and long-sleeved shirt, I'm able to see the outline of her bones. Her cheeks are drastically sunken in, making her face appear more angular. Her once beautiful hair is now lifelessly hanging down her back and in front of her face. What the hell happened to her?

I can't stand this anymore. I get up from the couch and go to stand in front of her. Her face is lowered, hiding her beautiful eyes from my view. I can't have that. I've spent months without looking into her eyes. I'm not going to waste any more time. I place my hand under his chin and try to life her face to mine. Right as my skin touches hers, she flinches and moves back a step. Her wide eyes look at me in horror. Am I really that disgusting to her now?

"What are you doing tomorrow night?" I ask.

Her eyebrows crease in her forehead. She once again looks down in front of her. "I don't know." She whispers.

"Let me take you out to dinner. I caught you off guard tonight. We can start fresh tomorrow." I make a bold move and reach down to grasp her hand. Little electrical pulses run up my arm when our skin touches. I wonder if she feels it too. Her eyes flash up to meet mine and she doesn't pull her hand away. She doesn't say anything, but she lightly nods her head. I let out a breath of air. My chest feels lighter.

"Fantastic. I'll be here to pick you up around six. Is that alright?" she nods once more. I wonder if she's not feeling well. She's not acting like her usual self, but then again I don't expect her to greet me with open arms.

I open my mouth to say something else, but Ana's phone beeps in her pocket. She quickly pulls it out, reads whatever it says, and then frantically rushes over to the door.

"You need to go." She spurts out the words. She holds the door open and impatiently waits for me to leave. I'm confused at her sudden change in mood. "Please, Christian," She begs. "I'll go to dinner with you, just leave."

"Ana, are you alright? What's wrong?" I'm starting to really worry about her.

"I'm just not feeling well and want to go to bed."

I walk over to the door and place my hand over hers. It is late, I should have waited until the morning to come over. "I'll be here tomorrow." I say. This is an awkward situation. Should I give her a hug goodnight? A kiss? A pat on the back? I result to a quick kiss on the cheek. Her face turns bright red and I can't help but laugh. She's just so damn cute. "Sweet dreams, Ana." I say before walking out the door and into the chilly night air.

Once I', in my car, I glance back to see that Ana is still standing in the doorway watching me. I wave goodbye and she waves back. As I pull away I glance back in my mirror to see that she's still watching me. Before she's out of sight she places her hand on her cheek. Right where I kissed her.


	6. Chapter 6

I slam my back against the door. What the hell just happened? Christian came back. He was standing in this very living room. He kissed me goodnight. I place my hand where his lips lightly touched my skin. I wish we hand more time together. Kevin text me saying that he was on his way home and that the place should be spotless. I'm pretty sure he left to go over to his apartment to grab clothes. He has a place of his own, but he rarely uses it anymore.

I jump away from the door and run around making sure that everything is nice and tidy. I'm putting away cleaning products when the front door opens and Kevin walks inside. It's already passed midnight and he's just now getting home.

"I'm going to bed." He doesn't look at me as he makes his way towards the bedroom. He's carrying a duffel bag, which I assume is holding his clothes.

"Goodnight." I whisper. I feel so nervous all of a sudden. What is he knows Christian was here? Can he smell him in the air? Is he capable of reading minds? I pray to God that's not the case. As far as he's concerned, Christian is completely out of my life. I'm going to tell him that I have a business meeting to go to tomorrow night. He won't suspect a thing.

I wake early in the morning and keep myself busy until late evening. Kevin has been watching TV all day and left me to do my own things. He's going out with his friends around four so he won't do much until then. I, on the other hand, read a book, organize the bathroom, and even do a little online shopping. Kevin barely talks to me throughout the entire day. I told him about my "meeting" when his mind was otherwise occupied. His eyes were glued to the TV and he just grunted out an okay and waved me off. Perfect.

After Kevin leaves I start to get dressed. My face feels like it may crack under the stress of my smile. I feel like I'm meeting Christian for the first time. My stomach is filled with butterflies and I even start sweating.

I'm ready by six. I picked out a navy blue dress that hugs my slight curves and does a good job of covering most of my bruises. I cover the others with a couple layers of foundation and powder until they are no longer visible. I leave my hair down, but give it a few pumps of mousse to add some volume. I swipe on a thin layer of makeup over my foundation and call myself done. I must say that this is the best I've looked since, well since Christian.

I'm giving myself another glance in the mirror when I hear a soft knock at the door. T take a deep breath and open it. Christian stands tall wearing a very nice black suit with a dark blue tie. His copper hair is messy, yet stylish at the same time. His face is smooth and his full lips are turned up in a slight smile. His eyes are wide and shine through his long lashes.

I'm breathless.

"We match." His smooth voice pulls me out of my trance. He takes on hand a gently caresses my cheek. I flinch slightly, not knowing what he's doing, but find myself leaning into his touch.

"Hi." I breathe out. He smiles down at me and holds out his hand. I take it and step outside. He holds onto me until we reach his car where he holds the passenger door open.

"After you." He says with a smile. I nod and slide onto the soft leather of the seat. God, I remember this car. I run my palms over the seat and admire the R8's lovely interior. It makes me feel all warm and cozy inside. It makes me feel safe.

Christian gets in and pulls the car out onto the street and heads towards the highway. I sit back, close my eyes, and concentrate on the soft roar of the engine.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Christian breaks the silence. I glance over and find him staring at me.

"Just wondering where you're taking me." I reply. He chuckles once and shakes his head.

"Always eager for information." He says under his breath. He looks back at me. "We're going to have dinner at this fabulous restaurant that I happen to know. Five stars."

"Do you happen to _own _this hotel?" I say, slightly teasing him.

He chuckles again and reaches over to place his hand on top of mine. Tiny jolts run from my hand to my heart. "Not the point." He says.

We stay quiet for the rest of the drive. Its silence, but it's not awkward. I feel Christian's eyes on me as I stare out the window. We travel into downtown Seattle and pull up in front of a brightly lit, very modern looking building. There's a line of people standing outside waiting to get in. A kind valet gentleman takes the R8 as Christian puts an arm around my waist and leads us inside. We slide past the huge line and meet a well-dressed waiter inside.

"Ah, Mr. Grey." The man says with a slight accent. "Such a pleasure to see you again, sir."

"You as well, Sebastiano." Christian replies.

"Your table is right this way, sir." We follow Sebastiano to a secluded table all the way in the back. The cloth covered table is equipped with a small candle in the center that lets off a soft glow. The restaurant itself is dimply lit, so the soft light creates a very intimate setting. I glance around and notice that no one is seated anywhere near our table. Christian and I are completely alone. The thought sends shivers through my body.

"This is perfect. Thank you." Sebastiano is sent away and Christian pulls out a chair and I sit. He sits directly across from me. The light from the candle basks his face is and orange glow that makes him looks so handsome it hurts.

"Order whatever you would like." He says while folding his hands in front of him. "You look like you haven't eaten a decent mean in months." His eyes burn into mine. I can't help but flush a little.

"I haven't." I tell the truth. Christian closes his eyes and shakes his head. He runs a hand over his face before speaking.

"Anastasia," He looks at me with such a stern expression that I almost fall out of my chair. "You need to take care of yourself."

"It hasn't been that easy. Trust me." He doesn't even know the half of it. I glance down at the menu, but don't read the fancy words. A watery fog clouds my vision that I know all too well are tears/ he has no idea about my life these past few months. I'm not sure what would happen if he ever found out.

"Ana," He says softly. I wipe my tears and meet his pained expression. "I never meant to hurt you." His words comfort me and anger me at the same time. What was he trying to do then?

Before I get the chance to respond, another waiter comes over to take our food orders. I don't say anything, so Christian takes over and orders us both the same thing. He picks up both menus, fills our champagne, and leaves.

I'm left awkwardly hanging my head down and looking at my lap. My thoughts drift towards Kevin. I wonder what he's doing right now.

"Ana, please talk to me." Christian says quietly. I lift my head and see his hand stretched across the table. I take it. His thumb rubs soft circles over my skin. "I want to make things right between us." He lifts my hand to his lips and places a soft kiss.

"Right as in how?" I ask.

Christian takes a deep breath and seems to collect his thoughts. He looks at me with a burning gaze that does strange things between my thighs. "I want you, Ana." He says bluntly. My eyes widen in shock. "I want you like a man in the desert needs water and I'm willing to start over." He kisses each one of my fingers.

I'm stunned. He wants to start over? What does that even mean? We haven't even talked about why I left in the first place. What about Kevin?

"Christian, we still have a lot to talk about. You just can't show up and expect me to get down pn my hands and knees for you." His eyes widen at my choice of words.

"No, Ana. That's most certainly not what I expect. I want to talk about what happened between us as well." He says. I take a swallow of my champagne. I have the feeling I'm going to need a new one soon.

"Then let's talk." I say. "That's why we're here."

"Ana, I never meant to hurt you that night. You have to believe me. I wanted to show you what you were getting yourself into. You asked for it and then you left me." He speaks so fast that I have to concentrate on every word. "You left _me, _Ana. After you told me to-" He stops and thrusts his hands into his hair. "I should have never allowed it to happen. You didn't know what you were saying." He bows his head into both hands.

"Christian," I speak softly. "I'm the one who asked for it. It's not your fault. I should have known better." I want this matter put to rest. We both need this closure.

He shakes his head. "No, Ana, it's my fault." He removes his hands and gazes at me with a tired expression. "I fucked up the one thing that matters the most to me." My heart aches for him. I wish I could hold him in my arms and keep us both protected from the hurt.

"I should have never left." I say.

"I should have never let you walk away." Christian takes my hand in his and just holds it tightly. The air around us has changed. This is good. We're actually talking.

We look at each other for a few moments before our little moment is broken by the arrival of our food. Whatever Christian ordered looks absolutely delicious. It's some kind of salmon covered in a thick red sauce. My stomach growls in anticipation. Once the waiter is gone, Christian and I start digging into our food. I pick at mine at first, but it tastes so good that I can't help but to shovel more into my mouth. I see Christian smile out of the corner of my eye. I look up with the fork still in my mouth.

"What?" I mumble with a full mouth.

"It's lovely seeing you with an appetite." He chuckles. I offer a small smile and continue with my dinner. It's gone too soon and I lean back in my chair, completely stuffed. Christian finishes his and works on his champagne.

"Why don't you say we head over to my place for some dessert?" He asks me as he receives the bill from the waiter. Back to his place? For dessert? Am I ready for this? "I promise just talking." He says, obviously seeing my facial expression. "I'll have Ms. Jones makes us something with chocolate." He smiles sweetly, showing all of his perfect teeth. He signs the bill then stands and offers me his arm that I take so willingly.

"Okay." I say automatically. How can I say no to that smile?


	7. Chapter 7

Christian's POV

Ana and I arrive back at Escala around nine. She seems hesitant, which I can't blame her for. She leans against the counter while I search the freezer for some dessert.

"I hope you like ice cream." I say while pulling out a gallon of chocolate chip. "Gail retired for the night." I set the carton down and grab two bowls and a couple of spoons from the cabinets.

"Ice cream is perfect." She says softly. I scoop us each a good amount and we just lean back pick at it. Ana takes a few bites, but stares into the bowl for the entire time. If I didn't know any better I'd say that she almost looks sad. Her head is hung low and her mouth drops at the corners to make a frown. Her eyes concentrate on the bowl, but I can tell that her mind is far away on other things.

I leave my side of the counter and go to stand beside her. She doesn't realize I'm there until I gently place one hand on her shoulder. The moment my skin touches hers, she gasps loudly and jumps back a couple of inches. I find her reaction very strange. Ana was never the jumpy type. I take my other hand and cup her cheek. Her wide eyes watch me with caution. I wait for her breathing to slow before I speak.

"What are you thinking, baby?" I ask softly. She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. I'm surprised when she lets her head fall onto my chest. I'll admit that my heart skips a beat. I take the opportunity to wrap my arms around her and pull her closer. I can smell the shampoo in her hair and the lotion on her skin. I run my hands softly up and down her back.

"Things have changed so much." She whispers into my chest.

"No they haven't, Ana. Things just got off track that's all. We can fix it." Ana pulls out of my embrace and turns her back on me. A cold shiver runs through my body. "Ana, sweetheart, we're together now. Everything can go back to normal." She's still facing away from me, but I can see she shoulders shake. Damn it, she shouldn't be crying, I come up behind her, but she quickly swings around to stop me from coming any closer.

"No, Christian, it won't!" She shouts. Tears stream down her face and her eyes are wild with rage. She holds her arms out wide and gestures around her. "Things will never go back to normal!" More tears flow down her cheeks. I don't know what's happening right now. I'm frozen in shock.

"Ana," I say her name softly. "It'll be okay." I don't know what else to say at this moment. I'm caught completely off surprise.

"No it won't!" She sobs. Her chest heaves with her heavy breaths. "Don't tell me that things will be okay when they won't."

"Where in the hell is all of this coming from?" I say. I move a little closer and grasp her shoulders. "Why are you acting like this?" I throw my hands up in the air to prove my point and my voice comes out stronger than I intended. I don't mean to frighten her. She has every right to her emotions. Her reaction stops me in my tracks though.

Ana's eyes become wide with fear and her mouth falls open. She turns her head to the side and throws her hands up in front of her face to make some sort of barrier.

_What the…_

"Please." I hear herwhisper. Please? Please what? I slowly lower my hands at my sides. I'm so confused. Ana reacted as if I was about to strike her. As if I would ever do such a thing.

"Baby, what's wrong with you?" I make sure to keep my voice soft. She doesn't say anything, but she lowers her head and shakes it back and forth. She's crying again. "Ana?" I whisper. I go to touch her cheek, but she reacts too quickly and jumps away from my touch. She swings her arms behind her and knocks the bowl of ice cream off the counter. It falls and shatters when it connects with the floor. Ana gasps and immediately runs towards the mess, kneels down and starts to frantically pick up the pieces.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." She sobs while concentrating on the floor. She continues to sob apologies while picking at the mess.

"Ana, it's alright. I don't care about the bowl. Leave it." I try to tell her, but she doesn't seem to hear me. She just continues to cry and shake her head. I kneel down beside her and try to pull her away, but she refuses to look at me.

"Ana, look at me." I say. She ignores me. I say it once more and yet nothing happens. She's too focused on the broken bowl. "Ana!" I shout. Her hands freeze and her head snaps over to look at me. She's terrified. Her body shakes with both sobs and fear. Her lips still mumble apologies, but no words come out. This is not the Ana I know. This Ana is timid, nervous, and submissive…not my Ana.

"Baby," I whisper. I slowly place my hands on her face and thank God when she doesn't pull away. She trembles underneath my fingertips. "Something is wrong." I say. She doesn't say anything for a few minutes, but she eventually nods her head once. I feel the moisture fall from her eyes and onto my hands. My blood goes cold. I need to know the truth. She needs me, and damn it, I will always be here for her no matter what.

"Whatever it is, Ana," I lean in and kiss her forehead. "You can tell me."

She looks into my eyes for an eternity before opening her mouth to say the words that completely stop my heart in my chest.

"He hits me." She whispers.


	8. Chapter 8

Christian's POV

So many different emotions run through my body. Confusion being the most dominant. So much has happened in the past few months. The last thing I expected was sitting on the kitchen floor and holding a shaking Ana who apparently just had some kind of OCD attack.

"Ana, what the fuck is going on here?" My voice is stern. Her expression does a complete three sixty. Her eyes scan around the room and focus on anything besides mine. She bites her lip and starts fidgeting with her fingers. "Ana." I grab her chin and force her to look at me. "I really need you to tell me what's going on." My arms begin to shake in anticipation. Something is seriously wrong with her, I can sense it. She hasn't been acting normal since i showed up on her doorstep. She flinches at any mere touch, she refuses to make eye contact, she apologizes for minor accidents…she just said she's been hit.

My vision goes blurry. Every ounce of my skin tingles with rage. I'm forced to clench my teeth so I don't tear out a chinch of my lip. I can't even remember how to breathe. All of the signs are there. I've just passed them off as Ana not knowing how to react to me anymore. The truth is the truth, though. And the harsh reality is what sends me over the edge.

"Ow, Christian. Please." Ana's whimper brings me back to reality. She's looking up at me with such fear in her eyes that it's like a bucket of cold water has been dumped on me. I loosen my grip on her face and stand up. I pace around the kitchen a few times while Ana just stares at me from her position on the floor. I don't notice when she quickly stands and rushes over towards the elevator.

"I'm sorry I said anything. I-I need to go now." She tries to press the button on the wall, but I get to her first. There is no way in hell that I am allowing her to leave me again. No, not again. This time we'll work things out together like we should have done in the first place. There will be no more walking out.

"Oh, no you don't." I grab her wrist and spin her around. "You're not getting off that easy." I say. She can't throw something at me like this and then fucking bolt for the door. I pull her into the media room and turn on the light so the room is bathed in a soft, orange glow. "Ana." I try to speak as calmly as possible. "I really need you to help me out here before i do something I'm going to regret." I manage to speak through my teeth.

Her lips tremble and her wet eyes flaw around the room. I can't deal with this anymore. If something is hurting her, then she needs to fucking tell me so I can help her.

"Ana!" She screams back at me. "Okay, yes. Yes!" Her eyes finally reach mine and are filled with a burning fire. She yanks her wrist out of my grasp and takes a step back. "I've been seeing this guy, okay? His name is Kevin and we've been together since you and I broke up."

Every ounce of my anger evaporates at that very instant. I feel my face fall at her words. My heart slowly begins to tear in two. Ana has a boyfriend. She's seeing someone else. Everything she said is a lie. She doesn't want me anymore.

"Do you love him?" The words come on their own. She stands there with her arms around her middle and tears running down her cheeks. Heat fills my veins once again. "Just answer the fucking question, Anastasia! Do you love him?" I shout the words. I know I shouldn't be yelling, but at the moment it's all I'm capable of doing. If she says yes…I don't know what I'd do. My entire world would be flipped upside-down. There's no point to anything without my Ana.

"No." Her face crumbles and she falls back onto the couch. "No. No. No I don't love him!" She slams her fists down on the leather with each word. "I hate him! I hate him! I hate him!" She somehow screams the words out around her heart jolting sobs. She grabs a pillow, presses it to her mouth and releases a series of howls.

Relief and pain flow through my chest. If my heart wasn't already broken, it sure is now. She needs to talk to me. I walk over and sit close to her on the couch. I lightly rub my hand over her back, but that just makes her cry even harder.

"Talk to me, baby." I say behind the huge clump in my throat. She continues to shake for a few minutes, but finally pulls the pillow away and calms her breathing. I smooth some stands of hair back that stick to her neck. She chews on her lip a few times before answering.

"He hits me." There's no emotion in her voice. Just pure fact. "He kicks me, he punches me, he calls me names, he rapes me…" Her voice trails off as more tears come.

I don't know how I'm supposed to react. Ana has just told me the one thing that I fear the most and yet all I can imagine is breaking a wall down with my bare fists. I take a moment to absorb all this information. Ana is being abused in the worst way possible by some man. Whoever this Kevin fucker is will not live to see another day as far as I'm concerned.

I'm off the couch in seconds and making my way towards the nearest exit. I'm running purely on instinct now. As I'm walking towards the elevator, I pull my phone out of my pocket and press a button that immediately connects me to Taylor.

"Taylor. I need you to-" I don't get the chance to complete my sentence before Ana comes running up beside me. She blocks my path and prevents me from reaching the elevator.

"Christian, please." She begs. "Don't do this. Please. Stay here." She pushes her hands up against my shoulders and tries to push me back.

"Ana, let me through." I place my phone back in my pocket. I'll call Taylor later.

"No, Christian. Please don't go. Please." She wraps her arms around my waist and pushes against me with all her weight.

"Ana." I warn her. I am definitely not in the mood for this. "Move."

She stops pushing and looks up at me through wet lashes. "Please. I need you." She chokes out the words and wipes the tears off her face. When she removes her hands I see that she's removed majority of her makeup. A large purple and yellow mass is spread across the left side of her face. My body goes ice cold. I feel as if I'm moving in slow-motion. I cup her face in my hand and tilt her towards the light so I can see the bruise more clearly. It's worse than I thought.

"Oh, Ana." I whisper and bend down to lightly press my lips against her tortured skin. "Jesus, baby." She goes limp in my arms and crashes into my chest. I hold her tight and silently pray that I'm able to take all her pain away.

"Where else?" I ask into her hair. She knows what I'm talking about and pulls away from me. She turns around and at first I think that she's going to run again, but instead she pulls the zipper down on her dress and lets it fall to the floor. She turns around wearing just a bra and panties. I gasp at what I see. Ana's entire stomach is covered in a mass of bruises. Some are darker than the others, but all are visible. More marks run across her upper thighs and over her sides. Smaller ones are scattered over her arms and a couple are on the base of her neck.

"Ana…" I breathe out. I step a little closer and walk around to see what her backside looks like. Her lower back is the worst, but most of these bruises have already started to heal. I hear her soft sniffles as I gently touch my hand to her back. I turn her around to face me. Silent tears roll down her cheek.

"Now you know." She whispers. "I'm ruined." She drops her head in shame.

A ripple of pain fires through my chest. "Oh, Ana." I pull her close and rest my chin on top of her head. "You are no such thing." My voice is tight and I can feel my throat tighten up. I kiss her hair.

"I'm so weak, Christian. I don't know what to do anymore." She sobs into my shirt.

"Shh. I'm here, Ana." I rub her bare back soothingly. "I'm not going to let anything hurt you."

"I need to go home." She mumbles after a few minutes. I snap my head back and pull her away so I can see her.

"Like fuck you will." I spit. "You will do no such thing."

"Christian, I need to go home. Kevin probably won't be awake anyway."

"You _live_ with him?" This new information surprises me.

"Well…not really." She murmurs.

"Ana!" I grasp her face in my hands. "You will go nowhere near him. Do you hear me? You stay here with me until this is taken care of."

She gives up the fight and leans into my touch. "Can we talk about this?" She asks.

"We'll talk about the specifics tomorrow. You and I will both take off work and sort all this shit out." I run my fingers through her hair. She nods, but I can tell she's not happy about my decision. Well, that's too damn bad.

"Where am I sleeping?" She asks me. I am genially surprised that she's not going to fight me on the matter. But then again, maybe she wants this just as much as I want it for her.

"Wherever you would like. If you want, I'll take the couch so you can have the bed." It'll kill me from being separated from her, but if it's what she wants…

"I think that'd be for the best." She says. "But just for tonight. I'll tell him that I was out drinking and stay the night at a friend's house. I'll call in work and say that I'm sick or something."

"Don't worry about it. I'll take care of it." I say. I'll make sure that Ana is safe in my bed and then I can work on this Kevin. This fucker will never be able to walk again if I have anything to say about it.


	9. Chapter 9

Christian's POV

He knows everything. Christian knows everything. In a way it feels like a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders, but then I have this unnerving feeling that the worst has yet to come.

Christian is making me stay at Escala for the night, which does not make me too happy. No matter how much I beg for him to take me home, he absolutely refuses to listen to it. To be honest I don't want to go back there. I feel safe here with Christian. Things almost feel normal. Well, as normal as things between us could get. The last thing I want to do is leave, but I know that Kevin is going to notice if I don't come home. He'll notice and then he'll send out a search party to find me. I don't even want to think about my punishment if he ever found me…

"I still don't understand." Christian softly speaks above me. I'm lying on his bed wearing nothing but a bra and underwear while he rubs some type of lotion all over my body. His hands are cautiously moving over my body and gently smear the soothing cream over my imperfect skin. His large hands feel so good on me. I forgot what it feels like to be touch by someone. My skin tingles where his touches mine, but there's nothing sexual about it. I just lay flat on the bed and live in this moment.

"Understand what?" I reply to his question.

"Why you stayed with him for so long." He doesn't hide the sadness in his voice. He works on my lower back while I think about his question. It's one that I've asked myself numerous times before.

"I guess I was hoping that things would get better" I say. "That he would stop everything and turn into an actual person." It's a lame excuse, I know, but it's all I can manage. "I was scared. I still am." I speak into the soft covers.

Christian's hands pause over my back. I feel his lips trace a pattern over my bare shoulder. "You don't have to be, Ana." He kisses my skin. "You're with me now." Another kiss. "You're never going back." I can't help but smile at his comforting words.

"What am I going to do, Christian?" I sign into the pillow. I'm so tired.

"I've told you; let me take care of it." I feel his large body lay next to mine. I turn my head to see that his face is just inches away from mine. He looks so handsome with his bright gray eyes, his copper hair, his high cheekbones, his full lips that are slightly parted…

"You are so beautiful, Anastasia." He runs the tips of his fingers over my cheeks. I feel the heat rush to my face. "Ah, how I've missed that blush." He chuckles and smooth's the hair away from my face. I laugh along with him. God, when was the last time I've laughed?

"You're not going to do anything drastic…are you?" I ruin the mood. I know how Christian reacts. He's not going to let this Kevin thing slide through his fingers.

I immediately regret opening my mouth. His mouth closes to make a firm, straight line. His eyes become dark and stormy. His nostrils flare and I can hear him grinding his teeth.

"Christian?" I try to get his attention. I don't want him to go to some dark place in his mind. I need him to stay with me right now. I need him to be my rock.

"I'll do what I have to do, Ana." His voice holds no emotion. Cold shivers run through my body. He can't do anything stupid. He just can't.

"Stay with me." I whisper. I put my hands on his cheek. "Don't leave." I drop my head onto his shoulder.

He snaps out of his trance and wraps an arm around me. "I won't." He says into my hair. His hands run smooth circles over my back. "We stay together."

"Good." I say and snuggle deeper into his chest. I don't care if things are a mess right now. This is exactly where I want to be. I feel safe in this man's arms. I feel loved, I feel cherished, I feel like my old self. WE lay like this for a long time. My head rests on Christian's chest while his arms are around me and our legs are entertained together.

"Are you tired?" I hear him whisper into my ear. My eyes are heavy and my mind is exhausted. My body begs for sleep, but I force my eyes to stay open. I feel like a child who refuses to go to bed when told. This moment is so perfect. I don't want it to end.

"No." I mumble into his chest. We probably look so strange together. Christian is still dressed in his dress pants and shirt while I'm in my bra and panties that don't even match.

I say I'm not tired, but my body betrays me and I let out a huge yawn that causes my eyes to water. I hear Christian chuckle as he sits up on the bed. He brings me up with him and my head spins. "I do believe that someone is tired." He gets off the bed and goes over to the dresser. He pulls out a pair of gray sweatpants and a black t-shirt.

"I think you'll be more comfortable in these." He helps me put on the clothes that hang off me in every way possible. The fabric smells just like him. The scent instantly calms me.

"Thank you." I tell him. He stands in front of me and it almost feels awkward. I'm assuming that he's leaving me to sleep in here. However, it he changes his mind, then I won't object to sleeping next to him.

"Sleep well, Ana." He says. He cups my cheek and bends down so close that our noses touch. He doesn't make a move and I realize that he's waiting for me to control the situation. He wants me to kiss him. Do I want to kiss him? To feel his lips pressed up against mine? Do I even know how to kiss anymore?

My body reacts before my mind does. My lips crash against his and butterflies invade my stomach. His lips move soft and gentle against my own. His sweet breath mingles with mine and I take in all in. My hands fist themselves into his hair and his tangle into mine as well. Our lips continue their dance while our bodies move closer and closer. One of Christian's hands stray from my hair and slide down to rest on my lower back. He pulls me closer, but in doing so he presses on one of my fresher bruises. Pain radiates up my body and my eyes flash open. I yelp in surprise and pain and Christian breaks the kiss immediately.

"Shit, Ana. I'm sorry." He traps my face in his hands and stares into my eyes. His are wide, bright, and full of concern.

"Christian, I'm fine." I smile at him. Bubbles flow up my throat and I laugh. I laugh because I'm happy. At this very moment I am truly happy.

"God, I've missed you." He smiles down at me.

"I've missed you, too."

"You need to sleep now. It's been a long day." He takes my hand and leads me to the top of the giant bed. He pulls back the covers and motions for me to climb inside. I slip into the soft sheets and sigh in pure pleasure when my head hits the downy pillows. Christian pulls the covers up to my neck and bends down to give me a quick kiss goodnight. "Sweet dreams, baby." He says against my lips. "I'll be right outside if you need me." He steps back and goes over to the door.

"Goodnight, Christian." He smiles and nods before turning off the light and softy shutting the door behind him.

My eyes flash open to find nothing but darkness. The covers are all bundled around me and a thin layer of sweat is caked over my skin. It was just a nightmare. Kevin hasn't really found me. I'm safe here with Christian.

I peel the covers off my body and slide out of the bed. I step out into the hallway and go search for Christian. I expect to find him in the living room area where all the couches are, but he's not there. I walk into the media room and find a small table light turned on and some sheets spread out on the couch, but there's no sign of Christian.

Oh, no. Where in the hell is he? If he's no here then…shit! He's gone after Kevin. He's going to find Kevin and do something really stupid.

I bolt into the bedroom, grab my shoes, and head straight to the elevator. Down in the garage I notice that the SUV is peaked in its usual spot, which means that Taylor is still here. There's no sign of Christian's R8. Fucking hell.

I don't even think about what I'm doing. I run out of the garage and out into the Seattle streets. I'm not even sure what time it is. It seems like that awkward time where you're not sure if it's late night or early morning.

I run onto a corner and wave my hands around wildly until a yellow taxi screeches next to me. I hop in and tell the driver where to go. It's about a ten minute drive and I thank God when I find a couple of bills in my pockets. My heart stops in my chest and my body goes cold when I spot the Audi sitting on the street right outside the apartment.


	10. Chapter 10

Damn it, Christian. For someone so brilliant, he can be so stupid sometimes.

I walk up along the apartment's walkway and stop at the door. My heart flutters in my chest. I know that this is stupid. I shouldn't be doing this, especially without Christian. Hell, I don't even have my key.

I try the doorknob and am surprised when it turn fully and allows me to push the door open. The apartment is completely black. I quietly sneak in and gently shut the door behind me. I turn on a small table light that is enough for me to see around. Everything looks the way I left it. Nothing appears to be out of the ordinary. A part of me wonders if Kevin ever came back at all. I didn't see his car outside, so maybe he decided to go back to his place or stay out all night.

I tip-toe up the small flight of stairs and creep into the dark bedroom. The first thing I do is change my clothes. I throw Christian's on the floor next to the bed and grab a pair of yoga pants and an oversized hoodie. I slide on a pair of old flats and head out the door when an ear piercing ringing stops me in my tracks.

The phone. It's just the phone. I go over to the side of the bed and grab the phone out of its cradle. The clock says that it's just passed three in the morning. Who would be calling at this hour?

"Hello?" I use my "I just woke up voice."

"Ana!"

"Kate?" I screech into the phone.

"Oh my gosh, Ana. Where in the hell are you?" She sounds frantic.

"Um, I'm at the apartment. Why?"

"Kevin's been looking everywhere for you." The phone almost slips out of my hands. "He came over and couldn't find you and has been going nuts."

My heart quickens in my chest. Kevin knows that I wasn't home. He's out looking for me right now. I bite my lip to keep myself from crying.

"Ana? You there?"

"Yeah." I speak softly. "I'm here."

"Jesus, Ana. I've never heard him sound so freaked out before. He must really love you."

"Yeah. He must." I say. "Listen, Kate, I'm staying at a friend's house tonight for work related things. If Kevin calls you again can you tell him that I'm with you?"

There's a long pause on the other end before Kate speaks. "Sure, Ana." She sounds skeptical. I breathe out a sigh of relief followed by an even longer pause. "Ana, what's going on?"

"Nothing." I say too quickly. "I just don't want him to worry is all."

Kate and I say our goodnights before I hang up the phone. If Kevin isn't here, then he's out looking for me. I need to go get Christian. I wounded what he's been doing this entire time. I head out into the hallway and pass the bathroom when I feel a hand press down on my shoulder. I scream and back up until my back is pressed against the wall.

"Kevin, I'm sorry. I'm sorry." I chant into the darkness. My skin prickles in fear and I instinctively hold my hands out in front of me.

"Ana. It's me, baby. It's just me." I hear the softly spoken words, but I still continue to shake. Christian grabs my hands in his and pulls me into his chest. "Shh, you're fine, Ana." He whispers into my ear. His hands run up and down by back.

"I'm sorry." I say into his neck. I pull back and let my eyes adjust to see his face. He looks down at me with tired eyes.

"You should be sleeping right now." His voice is disapproving. I look down and notice that he's also changed into black sweatpants and a navy t-shirt.

"Hey," He lifts my chin until my eyes meet his. "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing." I snap back at him.

His eyes become hard and his jaw tenses. "I just wanted to check some things." His voice is flat.

"Christian, Kevin is out looking for me." I get right to the point.

"What? How do you know this?" He takes my face into his hands and stares into my eyes.

"Kate just called. He knows that I haven't been home." I can't hide the fear in my voice. "He knows and he's going to find me and he's going to be furious and he's-"

Christian cuts me off with a kiss. His lips crash down and move against my own. I respond back accordingly and pull him closer. This kiss is brief, but I feel as if he's sucked all the fear out of my body.

"He's not going to find you." He mumbles against my lips. "I won't allow it. Understand?" I nod my head. "Good girl." He runs his fingers through my hair.

He takes my hand in his and leads me downstairs into the living room. "Do you need to grab anything else?" He runs his eyes up and down my new outfit.

I shake my head. "Can we just leave, please?" I don't want to be here any longer than necessary. Christian sighs and takes me in his arms as we head out into the chilly night air. We get into the R8 and I slide down into the soft leather seat. I'm exhausted. My lack of sleep is catching up with me and I feel my eyes become heavier and heavier.

"Sleep, Ana." Christian says while staring the engine. I close my eyes and I feel myself begin to drift off when a bright light streams through my eyelids. I open my eyes into little slits and see a car slowly cruising down the street towards our direction. The car slowly comes down and almost stops when it reaches us. I am so thankful that Christian's windows are tinted so nobody is able to see inside. The car hovers next to us for a minute before quickly speeding off and heading further down the street. Christian doesn't seem to notice and smoothly pulls the Audi out into the street.

Realization hits me hard. I throw my hand out and it hits Christian on the shoulder. "Christian!" I start to panic. I'm wide awake at this point and turn around in the seat to see if there's more signs of the vehicle.

"Ana, what is it?" He sounds just as tired as I feel. He stops the car in the middle of the road and glances over at me. "What's wrong?" He sounds worried now.

I look away from the back of the car and look over at his concerned face with wide eyes. "Christian, that was Kevin's car."

He doesn't try to hide his surprise. His face goes pasty white and he grips the steering wheel tight in his hands.

"Christian…" I whisper. I'm terrified. That was defiantly Kevin and he obviously saw Christian's car, turn on, sitting right in front of the apartment…My breathing becomes rapid and I can feel the tears sting behind my eyes. God damn it, I'm so tired of crying.

"Come on, baby." I feel him place his hand on my knee. "We're going home." He does his best to make his voice sound calm, but I can tell that he feels the complete opposite.


	11. Chapter 11

I didn't feel like going to bed alone that night. Christian didn't argue with me when I begged with him to stay with me throughout the rest of the night, or early morning depending on how you looked at it. I sleep in Christian's bed while he took a seat in the large, plush chair that was pushed right up to the bed. I kept telling him that we could just share the bed, but even he knew that I wasn't fully comfortable with the idea.

"Sleep well, Ana." He leans down to softly press his lips to mine. "Please do not run off again. My hair is already starting to turn gray sue to you." I feel his lips smile against mine and I can't laugh at how absurd he sounds.

"Goodnight. And I promise no more running. I'm exhausted anyway." He pecks me on the lips once more before taking his place on the chair. I watch as he puts a large blanket over his lap and leans over to turn off the light. The darkness is strangely comforting and terrifying at the same time. My mind immediately ventures back to the apartment. I know that the car we saw was Kevin's. I struggle to keep my eyelids open and finally allow them to fully close. My thoughts begin to drift and I only focus on the sounds Christian makes in the dark room. He snores softly from the chair. His soft breathing continues and I soon find myself drifting off to the comforting pattern…

Something touches my arm and I wake with a startle. I shoot up in bed and move away from the hand that touched me. I forget when I am at first, but then my eyes land on a beautiful and very confused looking face that belongs to Christian. He's sitting at the edge of the bed with his arm outstretched to me. He's still dressed in his sweatpants and t-shirt.

"Morning." His voice is hesitant. "I didn't mean to frighten you." His hand strokes my arm soothingly.

"It's alright." I say and pick at the sheets in front of me.

"Ms. Jones made some breakfast. It's in the kitchen if you're hungry."

"Food sounds fantastic right now." Christian and I walk into the kitchen together to find Ms. Jones setting huge plated of food on the counter.

"Ana, darling!" The apron covered woman rushes over and pulls me into a tight hug. "It's so lovely to see you again."

"It's good to be back." I say. She tightens her arms and I feel a sting on my lower back when she pressed too hard. These damn bruises…I pull out of the hug and my eyes scan over the counter where two heaping plates are piled with all kinds of food. "It smells delicious in here."

"I'll grab you two some drinks and then leave you to your meal." She fills two glasses with orange juice and sets them next to our plates.

"Thank you, Gail." With that, Christian and I sit down at the counter and dig into our food. I didn't realize how starved I was until now. I pile the food into my mouth and down it with the orange juice. I can feel Christian's eyes on me as he politely clears off his plate. One of his hands rests on my knee and his thumb runs circles over my skin.

"I need to feed you more." He smirks and takes our empty plates over to the sink. I feel so full that my body doesn't even register the idea of movement. I don't think I've ever eaten that much during one meal, let alone that fast. Kevin despised when I ate a lot. He always made some comment about me getting fat…

Solid arms wrap around my shoulders and I can't help but freeze in response.

It's just Christian. I think and make myself relax. He would never hurt me.

"I hate to do this to you," I hear him say into my hair. His hands run up and down my arms. "But I need to run into the office later today." I try not to show it, but disappointment floods through me. The last thing I want is to be separated from Christian. Especially after what happened last night.

"It's just going to be for a couple of hours, baby." He kisses me lightly on the cheek. "Ros needs my help with some of the accounting folders and to look at the expanding propositions. Unfortunately, I'm not able to do that fem here."

"No, I understand." I speak quietly. "I don't want to take you away from your work." I pull out of his embrace and go over to the large, glass windows that look over the streets of Seattle. I hear Christian sigh as he comes to stand behind me.

"Ana, you know that you're my number one priority, right?" His hands pull me back into his chest and he rests his chin on my shoulder. "I'll be back as soon as possible. You won't even know I'm gone."

I snort at the idea. "Christian, I always low when you're gone. It's like I'm connected to you through some strange magnetic pull."

Christian holds me tighter and kisses my neck softly. His lips make a trail from the base of my neck and move up to the sensitive skin underneath my ear. "I know exactly why you mean." His soft breath sends shivers through me.

"What about me? What am I going to do while you're gone?"

"Well, you can stay here and do whatever you please. Taylor will be here to watch-"

"I don't need a babysitter, Christian." I snap back at him while untangling myself from his arms. "I'm not going to be locked up in here while you go out to rule the world." I wave my arm out towards the windows. My temper is starting to come out.

Christian closes his eyes and I can tell he's trying to hold himself together. "Anastasia, please do not fight me on this."

"Christian, I'm not some damsel in distress. I have a life, I have a job-"

"No. No work today, Anastasia. I already told you that."

I take a deep breath in hopes of calming myself. Christian is being absurd. If he's going to work, then there's no reason as to why I can't also attend my own job. "Christian," I try my best to keep my voice calm. "I really want to go to work today." He opens his mouth to to respond, but I quickly cut his off. "Just for while you're at work. We can both go in at the same time and then you can pick me up when you're done." I wait for Christian to tell me how unlikely my idea was, but I'm surprised when he doesn't sat anything at all. He just looks down at me with a blank expression. "Please, Christian." I used my last resource and pull out my puppy eye look. I see him roll his eyes and the corner of his mouth turns up slightly. I've got him now.

"You are utterly absurd." He chuckles. He cups my face in his hands and looks at me with arm eyes. "But if that's what you really want, then you may go to work." I squeal in delight and clap my hands in front of me. "Only for a little while, though." Christian tells me. "And you will have Sawyer or Taylor accompany you. I'll pick you up when I'm finished. Understand?"

I nod my head frantically. "Yes. Thank you, Christian!" I stretch up on my toes and press my lips to his. His lips move slowly, but determined against mine as his fingers tangle themselves in my hair.

"We should go get dressed now before we both say fuck the work and stay here all day." He mumbles against my mouth and takes a step back.

"I agree." I say. "And, Christian…do you mind if I ask you something?" I whisper so quietly that I'm not even sure if he heard me.

"Baby, you can ask me anything. You should know that."

"Okay. Then why exactly do you not trust me going into work today? And are making Taylor or Sawyer come with me?" I feel like it's a pretty simple question, but I can see how deep in thought Christian is before he answers with a cool, stern voice.

"It's not that I don't trust you, Ana." He speaks slowly. "It's Kevin that I don't trust one bit. I told you that I wouldn't let anything happen to you and I stand by that. No harm shall come to you."


	12. Author's Note :)

Hello my beautiful readers! :) I'd like to take the opportunity to tell you all that I hope you guys are enjoying the story and will continue to give me some awesome reviews. The constructive criticism is much appreciated. With that being said, I want to clear up a few questions, comments, and concerns that have been brought to my attention:

1.) In this particular story, Ana is a little "ridiculous". It's a fictional story that deals with some more mature content and some heavy scenes. Ana isn't going to be acting like her normal self because she's not her normal self at this moment. I know in the original story she's stubborn and hard-headed, but with her case here she's not going to be like that. Just please don't worry about Ana. She's not herself right now, but I promise you guys that she's going to find herself again and won't disappoint us. :) 2.) Christian gives into Ana a little more than normal. Christian now knows what's been happening to Ana and the guy feels bad for her, okay? She already ran off once and he's trying not to make the same mistakes with her again.

3.) Originally Ana left due to her not responding well to getting hit by Christian, not feeling like she's what Christian needs, her wanting a normal relationship...etc. When Ana got with Kevin she wasn't in love with him at all. She, like most people, just wanted something/someone to distract her from her previous relationship. When Kevin started to abuse her, Ana felt like she had no other options but to stay in that relationship. She didn't want to deal with feeling like a wimp because it would be the second time that she'd be leaving a man for doing something like this. Plus, she hoped that he would change and she would get the "normal" relationship that she wanted in the first place.

4.) Like I said, Christian deep down is frustrated with Ana. He just wants to make her happy and to take all of this away. He feels responsible for this and is doing everything he can to make it better.

5.) Kate and Jose will be in the story later. Ana isn't going to tell her friends what's been happening because she feels like it's her fault in the first place for leaving Christian and putting up with Kevin for so long. Plus, Kevin is one of Jose's friends, so that would create some tension there.

So, my fellow FSOG people, I hope that I've answered some of your questions. This story will have a lot of twists and turns so just hang in there with me. Everything will fall into place I promise! :)

Also, I know I haven't been very reliable on updates and I'm terribly sorry for that. I will try my best to update sooner than normal. Between this story and another big one of mine, I've been working on some of those sweet, fluffy stories that everybody seems to enjoy :) Just hang in there and keep letting me know what you guys think! Thanks for reading this boring note! :)


	13. Chapter 13

"Ana! You ready?" I hear Christian shout from the kitchen. I run from the bedroom and meet the man who rules the universe. Christian is dressed in a dark charcoal gray suit, a freshly pressed white dress shirt, and a dark navy tie that complements his copper hair quite nicely. I catch him staring at me and quickly lower my eyes.

"Sorry." I mumble.

Christian sighs. "Ana, you know that I don't mind if you look at me." All I do is nod and go over to stand next to him. I'm still dressed in my sweats and hoodie. Christian agreed to let me go back to the apartment to grab some clothes and other personal items. The only way I could get him to agree to this is by telling him multiple times that Kevin was at work.

"Now, I'm going to have Taylor drop you off at your apartment. I have to be at the office as soon as possible, so I'll be driving separately. I want you to call me when you reach the door and again when you leave safely. Got it?"

His speech sends my mind in spirals, but I nod in agreement. "I understand."

He breathes a sigh of relief and nods. "Thank you." He bends down, pecks me on my cheek, and then heads down the elevator. I'm left standing alone in the kitchen.

"Miss Steele." The deep voice comes from behind me and I jump back in response. Standing at the room's entrance is Taylor dressed well as always, holding a set of keys. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to frighten you." He walks over towards the elevator where he waits for me. "Ready when you are ma'am."

Taylor and I hop into the Audi SUV. He sits in the front while I sit in the back as always. Just like old times. We take the quickest route to the apartment and the entire time my stomach moves in waves. I start to feel sick the closer we get. Maybe I should have just stayed back at Escala…

"I'll be waiting out here for you ma'am." Taylor parks right outside the walkway. I take a deep breath and step out of the car. The first thing I do is glance around to make sure that Kevin is gone. I don't see his car anywhere so that's a good sign. I take a couple deep breaths to calm myself.

The apartment looks exactly how I left it. It doesn't even look like anyone's been here. Maybe Kevin hasn't come home. The first thing I do is head towards the bedroom to change into my work clothes. I fix myself up quickly and work on packing a duffel bag to take back to Christian's.

I fill the bag until it's completely full. I think I'm done here. I take one last look at the bedroom. The small bed is nicely made, the dresser is neatly packed, and the curtains are still closed just like they were before. Kevin really hasn't come back. I make my way downstairs and head towards the door when a dark pile on the counter catches my eye and makes me stop in my tracks. That wasn't there before…

The sick feeling in my stomach returns and I immediately get a prickling sensation in my fingertips. I step closer and see that the pile is actually a pile of clothes that don't look like mine. I pick up the shirt and my heart freezes in my chest. These are Christian's clothes. I see the sweatpants that are also Christian's. I'm momentarily confused until realization hits me like a freight train. These are the clothes that Christian let me wear. These are the clothes I changed out of the night I thought I saw Kevin's car. I remember leaving them in the bedroom floor…

Before I get the chance to throw up, out of the corner of my eye I see a small index card lying next to the pile of clothes. My vision blurs, but I somehow manage to pick up the paper with shaking hands. It's a note.

I KNOW YOU WERE WITH HIM LAST NIGHT. NEXT TIME CLEAN UP THE MESS. UNLESS YOU WANT ME TO MAKE THE NEXT ONE.

My throat closes up in pure fear. I'm shaking like a leaf in a hurricane. My stomach threatens to bring up my breakfast, but nothing compares to the last line written at the very bottom of the card.

TURN AROUND.

I don't breath as I slowly turn my body around. Standing in the kitchen's entrance is the man that I never thought I'd see again. Kevin stands tall with his hands placed at his sides in tight fists. He's wearing all black, including his black working boots. My eyes reach his and I feel like a mouse looking into the eyes of a snake. His dark eyes pierce me, his mouth is twisted into a snarl and I wouldn't be surprised if he started frothing at the mouth.

Instinct kicks in and I break away from the counter and bolt straight for the door. My body slams into something hard and I find myself airborne and twisted around. When my feet hit the floor, my arms are twisted behind my back and I stop twisting when I hear something pop and terrible pain shoots down my arm. I scream until my throat burns, but Kevin quickly covers my mouth with his one hand while the other hold my arms back.

"Hey, baby." He growls into my ear. "You really thought that you would get away with all this?" He spits the words. When I don't respond he quickly takes the hand covering my mouth and wraps it around my throat. "You better fucking answer me, bitch." He puts pressure on his hand and I struggle to fight for my breath.

"I'm sorry." I manage to choke out.

"Sorry?" He growls. "You're not fucking sorry. You're a whore. Nothing but a lying whore." He releases me, but uses the freedom to push me up against the wall.

"Please, Kevin." I beg. "Let's talk about this." I watch as his eyes somehow become darker. I don't even register what's happening until his fist flies out of the air an connects with my hip. I grunt and bend over to help with the sharp pain.

"Oh, there will be talking, Ana. Just not between us." He slowly comes to stand in front of me. He roughly squeezes my chin between his hands and makes me look at him. His eyes are so dark that the pupils aren't even visible. "You're going to tell your little Grey buddy that you don't want to see him again."

I squeal in protest and try to wiggle my way out of his grasp. "No!" His one hand grips me harder while the other comes flying through the air an smacks me clean across the cheek. I whimper in pain.

"Shut up!" He growls in my face. "You tell Grey that whether you want to or not." He scoots back for a moment, but all of a sudden I hear a flick of something and then cool metal is pressed against my throat. He has a knife.

"Kevin…" I whimper. "I'm begging you." The tears fall in buckets now. He can't do this. He won't do this.

"Tell him or I'll kill you." The cool metal of the blade slides down my neck and rests at my waist. I feel the bottom of my blouse being lifted up and I try to squirm away, but Kevin holds me in place. His feet are placed in a certain way so I'm not able to get a good kick in.

The blade grass my skin and then I feel it slice into the soft flesh. I scream as he slowly drags the blade over my skin. I can feel the blood rise to the surface and trickle down.

"Don't think I won't." He pulls away from me, but not before shoving me hard against the wall. He backs up to the sink and stares at me as if I'm just the dog he's beating. "Now go tell him what I told you. I'm sure his bodyguard will be delighted to take you to him." I open my mouth to speak, but he cuts me off. "Don't bother sending him in. I'll be long gone anyway."

I begin to tremble. Me entire body feels as if I'm being shaken. My hands are reseed against my side, trying to stop the bleeding. It's a small gash, but it's enough to soak through my shirt.

"And don't try any funny business, Anastasia." He points the knife at me. "I'll know exactly where to find you."

"Why are you doing this?" I manage to find my voice.

He looks at me and has the nerve to smile. "Because I love you, Ana. I want you all to myself." My skin prickles at his words. His voice just oozes slime if that were possible. "Now get out of here."

I jump off the wall and beeline for the door. It swings opens and slams against the wall. Relief floods through me as I spot the SUV. I climb in and see Taylor sitting just as he was. The clock on the dash says that I haven't been in there for more than twenty minutes.

"Miss Steele-"

"Take me to Christian." I plead. "I need to go to the Grey House."

I see Taylor look in the mirror with concern, I do everything I can in order to calm myself and cover up my fresh wound. "As you wish, ma'am." He pulls out into the street, leaving me alone with my thoughts.


End file.
